Pet Self-Grooming Pass-Through Tunnel

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a pet grooming device that allows a pet to groom itself by passing through an annular tunnel having a plurality of grooming elements disposed therewithin. The tube-shaped device comprises an elongated tunnel having a first and second opening with wire grooming bristles attached within its interior. The pet is able to walk through the opening and as the animal passes through the device wire bristles brush the pet&#39;s hair in the natural direction, from head to tail. The distance the animal must pass through while traversing the device ensures that the animal&#39;s fur is sufficiently engaged by the bristles to promote a thorough grooming with each pass through the device, while a pathway free of grooming elements is provided for the pet to walk through the tunnel with ease and less trepidation. A barrier crossing and stand alone embodiment are disclosed, along with a method of construction.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from and is a continuation applicationof co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/406,559 filed on Feb.28, 2012, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/447,967 filed on Mar. 1, 2011. The above identified patentapplications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety toprovide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to pass-through self-grooming devices forthe purpose of brushing the fur of a domestic animal. The presentinvention is particularly useful for grooming cats and small dogs,wherein passageway through the device provides a means to remove loosefur and groom the pet. More specifically, the present invention providesa means for an animal to groom itself as it passes through a groomingtunnel, minimizing the amount of interaction that is required by the petowner in the grooming process. The device further provides a uniqueinterior structure that facilitates the pet's ability to easily traversethe tunnel without navigating the attached grooming elements, reducinghesitation and eventual pass-through confidence.

Pet allergies area problem for many individuals. Humans exhibit allergicreactions to many household pets such as birds, hamsters, rabbits, mice,gerbils, rats, and guinea pigs, with allergies to dogs and cats beingthe most common. Cat allergies are snore prevalent than dog allergies.Allergies can cause skin irritation, an itching sensation around theeyes, nose and throat, watering of the eyes, sneezing, and congestion.Pet allergies can also cause wheezing and bronchial constriction inthose with asthma. Interestingly, it is not the pet's hair which is theroot cause of allergies. Rather, humans are allergic to certain animalproteins that are excreted by animals in either their saliva or dander,which typically attaches to the animal's hair. The animal's fur alsocommonly harbors other allergens such as pollen, dust or mold spores.Fur that is shed onto the floor or on furniture may present a problemfor those with allergies and shed fur is also unsightly. Regulargrooming of an animal can reduce the amount of loose fur and collectedallergens that are on the animal, as well as reduce the amount of furthat ends up on the floor or furniture.

Despite being inherently self-grooming animals, cats in particular areknown to continually shed regardless of their own attentiveness andupkeep. No amount of licking or cleaning performed by a cat completelyeliminates the amount of shed fur. Furthermore, when a cat is left togroom itself, the cat has a tendency to develop hairballs, which ownersfind left on the floor for clean-up. Cats therefore require groomingassistance, which a pet owner may not necessarily have time to affordthe pet in order to adequately brush or groom consistently as he or sheshould.

The present invention comprises a pet grooming device that allows thepet to groom itself without help from its owner. The device is apass-through tunnel that employs a plurality of grooming elements withinits interior. Along the base of the tunnel is an open channel of removedgrooming elements to allow the pet o easily enter the tunnel withoutotherwise stepping onto the upstanding grooming elements. This designpromotes increased comfort for the pet and increased willingness toenter the tunnel passageway. The device comprises a unitary, flexiblesheet of brushing bristles that rolls to form a tube-shape. Thetube-shaped device comprises a first and second opening, along withgrooming elements attached to the interior of the tube. The interior ofthe device features a walking path that is free from bristles, asmentioned, such that the animal may step through the device withouthurting its paws. A pet is able to walk through the openings of the tubeand have its fur brushed as it makes ay from the first to secondopening. As the animal passes through the device, the grooming elementsbrush loose hair in the natural direction from head to tail. Theelements contact the pet along its top, sides and underbelly forcomplete coverage. The distance that the animal must pass through whentraversing the device ensures sufficient engagement of the fur by thegrooming elements, promoting a thorough grooming of the animal with eachpass. Embodiments of the device include a boundary crossing tube, suchas one being mounted in front of a pet door or boundary crossing, aswell as a standalone embodiment that is supported by a stationaryplatform. Both the standalone and boundary crossing embodiment arecapable of assembly from a planar configuration, which facilitatesstorage and shipping.

A number of different pass-through grooming pet devices have beenpatented and published in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No.5,458,088 to Owens describes an arched grooming portal designed to beincorporated into a pet door. As the animal moves from room to roomthrough the pet door, the pet must use the portal covered pet door togain access to the next room. The portal brushes the animal each time itenters or exits the portal. The device is arched similar to a horseshoeand incorporates grooming bristles, which are attached to the inner archof the device. When the animal passes through the portal, the bristlesgently brush the animal's sides, head and back. The present inventionprovides a unique pass-through device that has the flexibility to beinstalled in either an entryway or as a standalone structure. Since theOwens device is horseshoe shaped with no underside grooming elements,the underbelly of the animal remains un-brushed.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,169 to Barmakian also describes a grooming portaldevice that is designed to be incorporated into a pet door. As theanimal moves from room to room, the device allows ingress and egress ofan animal through the portal. The portal comprises severaltriangular-shaped flaps that completely cover the portal, with the flapends converging towards the center of the portal. The animal must pushpast these flaps in order to get through the portal. Both sides of theportal flaps are covered with small gripping bristles designed to grabat loose fur, so that when the animal passes through the device, eithercoming or going, grooming of the animal will occur. As the animal movesthrough the portal, the bristles engage the animal's fur, brushing thefur in the natural direction of the hair—i.e. brushing the hair from thenose of the animal to the tail. The Barmakian device provides little tono visual clearance through the passageway, leading to trepidation inthe pet as to how to navigate through the portal. Further, the flapsoperate in a single direction, which do not readily allow the animal toback up once engaged in the portal. This arrangement can lead to injuryif the animal stops, gets frightened and attempts to go backward. Thetriangles would dig into the animal and cause injury thereto.

The Owens and Barmakian patents both describe pass-through devices forthe purpose of grooming an animal. But both devices exhibit the sameshortcoming in the devices. These patents describe portal devicesdesigned to attach to a pet door, so as the pet passes through theportal, from room to room, the portal device grooms the animal. Theprimary disadvantage related to these devices is the limited amount oftime the animal's fur is in contact with the grooming mechanisms of eachas the animal passes through the device. Each patent describes a portaldevice that fits inside pet door parameters. The depth of these devicesis limited to the depth of the doorway or barrier. The animal couldquickly bolt through the device, limiting the amount of contact thebristles have with the animal's fur. The present invent requires theanimal to pass through the device for a longer distance in order totraverse the length of the device, allowing the grooming elements tohave significantly greater contact with the animal's fur. The length ofthe present invention ensures that the animal's fur is sufficientlyengaged to promote a thorough grooming with each pass. Since the presentinvention is a pass-through device, if it is used on a doorway in whichthe animal must transverse frequently, the self-grooming processprovided by this device can become a regularly practiced, dailyoccurrence, providing thorough grooming and dander removal from the pet.The present invention provides embodiments for a barrier passageway anda standalone structure, each of which provides the same functionality,while the doorway embodiment provides function and ingress/egress intoand from a room.

Other forms of self-grooming devices exist in the prior art and areconsidered relevant to the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 7,444,959 toHensley describes a stationary, upstanding device with multiple brushesfor grooming and massaging a cat. The brushes are oriented such that atleast one brush is in a horizontal position and at least one brush isoriented in a vertical position. The grooming brushes grip, extract,capture and retain loose fur when the animal rubs against the bristlecovered surfaces. A cat will approach the device and rub their bodyagainst the bristles to satisfying itches. Unbeknownst to the cat, whilethe feline is satisfying his or her itches, the device simultaneouslywill brush the animal's fur and remove loose hair.

The disadvantage to stationary devices such as the Hensley device isthat the animal is unlikely to rub their entire body on the groomingbrush implement of the device. Rather, the animal is ore prone to merelyuse the device for satisfying an itch in one small area of the pet'sbody. A stationary device provides no incentive to the animal to groomhis or her entire body against the device. Conversely, the presentinvention implements a pass-through design that promotes grooming of thewhole animal. When the device serves as the only means for the animal toget from one room to another, and there is an incentive for the animalto pass through the device—such as food or a favorite sleeping area onthe other side of the device, the animal will transverse the groomingportal as described by the present invention. As the animal emerges fromthe other end of the present invention, the animal will be nicelygroomed. Continual passes over time ensure the pet becomes accustomed tothe device and facilitates improved grooming of the pet with minimalowner interaction.

In light of the devices in the prior art and their inherent differences,it is submitted that the improvements embodied by the present inventionsubstantially diverge from the design elements of the prior art, andconsequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for animprovement to existing animal self-grooming pass-through devices. Inthis regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types ofexisting animal self-grooming pass-through devices now present in theprior art, the present invention provides a new pass-through design thatpromotes sufficient contact between grooming elements of the device andthe animal's fur, unbeknownst to the animal as it traverses through thedevice. The device encourages animals to groom themselves at any timeutilizing a standalone embodiment or provide a barrier passagewaygrooming embodiment that facilitates grooming during ingress, egressinto a dwelling.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved animal self-grooming pass-through device that has all of theadvantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an animalself-grooming device that brushes all sides of the animal whileretaining loose animal fur and dander as the animal passes through thedevice.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an animalself-grooming device that is provided in two contemplated embodiments, afirst that is a standalone structure, and a second that is adapted to beplaced onto an animal entryway hole.

A further embodiment of the present invention is to provide an animalself-grooming pass-through device that is easily traversed by the animaland rapidly builds animal confidence with regard to its use, as thegrooming elements are situated so as to allow ease of ingress into andpassageway through the tunnel.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an animalself-grooming device that can be disassembled into planar components,facilitating ease of shipping and storage.

A final object of the present invention is to provide an animalself-grooming device that reduces the amount of human interaction thatis required in the process of grooming an animal.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will beparticularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and mannerin which it may be made and used may be better understood after a reviewof the following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the standalone embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a view the standalone embodiment of the present inventionbeing assembled from planar elements, wherein its construction isvisualized.

FIG. 3 is a cross section view of the standalone embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the entryway embodiment of the presentinvention mounted over a pet door, depicting how a cat could utilizethis embodiment of the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like referencenumerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similarelements of the cat self-grooming pass through device. For the purposesof presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention,the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for providing apassageway that allows a pet animal to groom itself as it passes throughthe device, mounted to either an entryway or as a standalone structure.The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should notbe considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an overhead perspective view ofthe standalone embodiment of the present invention in a deployed state.This embodiment of the device comprises a tubular passageway or tunnel11 with a plurality of internal grooming elements 13 disposedtherewithin, adapted to allow a pet animal pass through the length ofthe passageway for the grooming elements to comb over the pet's fur forremoval of loose hair thereon. The passageway 11 includes a first andsecond opening on either ends to allow entrance or exit from either end.The passageway is supported by a planar support structure or base 12,which allows the standalone embodiment to be positioned anywhere withina room or dwelling for the animal to utilize. Within the passageway,inwardly pointing and deformable grooming elements 13 are disposed tocontact the pet along its side, top and underside. A path 21 devoid ofgrooming elements provides a smooth pathway for which the animal to walkupon, wherein the grooming elements do not pose a nuisance or impedanceto easily traversing or entering the tunnel. The pathway increases thepet's willingness to enter the tunnel 11 with little trepidation, as theelements will not hurt its paws as it enters and walks therethrough. Astrip of grooming elements 13 is preferably situated along the middle ofthe pathway 21 to establish two discrete walking paths for the purposeof brushing the underside of the animal as it walks through the device.The encircling grooming elements 13 along the interior surface of thetunnel are adapted to brush the top and sides of the animal. Thegrooming elements 13 are preferably deformable bristles or brushelements, such as those known in the art for grooming brushes anddevices. Any commonly utilized grooming element known to one skilled inthe art is contemplated for use within the disclosed pass throughdevice.

The tubular passageway 11 is supported by a base platform 12 such thatthe assembly remains stable and stationary during use. To facilitate useon laminate or hardwood floors, suction cups are placed along the bottomsurface of the platform 12 to prevent movement. Similarly, a highfriction lower surface may be utilized for the same purpose. Thesurfaces of the tube 11, base structure 12 and pathway 21 may be acarpeted material or an abrasive material, such that a pet animal mayutilize the surfaces of the devices as a scratching post or similarmeans to reduce claw length. In this way, as the animal walks through oron the device, its claws may be filed down accordingly.

In use, an animal enters the device from the first or second end of thetunnel 11, and exits from the opposite end. While the animal traversesthrough the device, the grooming elements 13 brush and massage theanimal. The device brushes the animal's fur in a natural direction—fromhead to tail. The grooming elements 13 are of sufficient length and areprovided in such density along the interior of the device such that theelements 13 are highly effective for gripping and retaining of looseanimal fur, and for making adequate contact with the animal for thatgoal. Since the interior of the device is lined with these groomingelements, the whole animal is brushed with each pass through of thedevice, including the animal's back, sides and underside. The pathway 21facilitates comfort and ease of passage, while the circumferentialcoverage of grooming elements contacts nearly all surfaces of the animalas is passes therethrough. The goal is to provide a device that grooms amajority of the animal, while providing a device that an animal can beeasily accustomed to and utilize readily.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown the construction of thestandalone embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment ispreferably of two-piece construction, wherein the tunnel 11 comprises arolled planar surface having grooming elements 13 providing along afirst face, the tunnel outer surface along the planar surface secondsurface, and attachment means 19 disposed along opposing edges thereof.The planar surface is a flexible sheet of material that provides asupport for the grooming elements and a thickness for the tunnel. Itsoverall length determines the diameter of the tunnel 11, wherein planarstarting shape of the tunnel and base platform 12 allows improvedstorage and shipping of the overall assembly when not in use. Theassembly is preferably assembled by rolling the planar surface into atunnel shape 11, joining opposing edges and said attachment means 19.These attachment means 19 adjoin with corresponding attachment locations20 on the base platform 12. These elements are contemplated as a mortiseand tenon joint, wherein the tunnel provides radially-projecting inserts19 that enter into notches 20 in the base platform. This allows amale-female carpentry-style joint that secures the assembly in a workingposition. The tendency of the tunnel to unravel keeps pressure on theinserts 19 within the notches 20, improving the quality of this joint.Other contemplated joints include finger joints and dovetail joints.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown cross sectional end view of thestandalone embodiment present invention in a working position, whereinits elements are assembled and the device is ready for use. The animalpasses through the center of the tubular-shaped tunnel 11 whileutilizing the central walking path or paths 21, and contacts thegrooming elements 13 as it passes therethrough. The device is assembledfrom a flexible sheet having a plurality of grooming element bristlesthereon, which is rolled to form a hollow tubular-shaped passageway 11.The connection of the passageway 11 and the base platform 12 comprises amortise and tenon joint, wherein inserts 19 are positioned into notchesin the base platform 12. Mounting the tubular-shaped column to the baseboard in this fashion stabilizes the device so that it does not move orroll. Rolling or translational movement could scare an animal andprevent it from ever wanting to use the device.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of thedoorway embodiment of the present invention, which is attached over apet door 15 and in use by a cat 14. This embodiment of the device mountsover a pet door 15 and acts as an elongated grooming tunnel which isutilized each time the pet enters or exits a room. A pet door allowsanimals to pass from room to room even when the door between those roomsis closed. The present invention is capable of being mounted over a petdoor 15 so as an animal 14 travels from one room to another the animal14 is contacted by the grooming elements and thoroughly cleaned of loosefur and debris. The pet door embodiment of the present inventionimplements a similar tubular structure 11, but incorporates a door orwall mounted base 16 attached an end of the tunnel 11 adapted to abutagainst an upstanding wall surface. The wall mounting base 16 provides acentrally located through-hole that aligns with the interior of thetunnel to facilitate the animal's passage through the tunnel and throughthe wall hole. If so desired by a pet owner, the device can be installedover a pet door 15. The wall mounting base 16 of the device can besecured to a door 17 at each of the four corners using an appropriatefastening attachment means 18. The installer's choice of attachmentmeans 18 includes any common fasteners such that the device is removablyattached to a pet door 17 and supporting surface therearound.

The doorway embodiment of the present invention may similarly beconstructed of otherwise planar structures, similar to the standaloneembodiment. The wall mounted base 16 is detachable from the tunnel 11,which itself is a rolled structure that is formed of a flat sheet ofmaterial having grooming elements disposed thereon. The rolled tunnel 11is attached together at its ends, forming a cylindrical shape, while asimilar mortise and tenon joint may be utilized at the base 16 andtunnel 11 interface. This provides an assembly that is easilydeconstructed or shipped using a smaller volume, which may be desirablefor storage or transport. Alternatively, both embodiments of the presentpass-through grooming device may be constructed of a unitary structure.Both embodiments comprise of a passageway having a walking path and aplurality of grooming elements to remove loose fur and debris from allsurface of the given pet.

To initiate the use and acclimate the pet to the device, it may benecessary to first manually groom the pet with a brush having similargrooming bristles. Once the pet is familiar with the feeling of beingbrushed, the pet is gently enticed through the tunnel to gradually teachthe animal how to enter and traverse through the device. The trainingprocess may take some time, as an animal may initially be hesitant orresistant to entering or completely passing through the tunnel. However,with the proper incentive, such as a treat or positive reinforcement,the animal will develop a positive association with the device. Theprocess of self-grooming by using the present invention will become aregular, daily occurrence. The device is desired to be useful foranimals of all sizes and shapes, and not limited to use by cats only;small dogs and other animals with fur could also be trained to use thedevice on a regular basis.

In use, the pet owner should clean the device regularly by extractingthe collected fur from the grooming element bristles. Improper orirregular cleaning of the device can lead to fur build up. Fur willeventually collect around the base of the elements, limiting theeffective length of the cleaning element bristles or reducing theirelasticity, which in turn decreases the overall efficacy of the device.The structure of the tunnel and supporting surfaces may be of anydesirable material. It is contemplated to include one such surface thatemploys an abrasive, which can expand the utility of the present deviceby allowing its surfaces to act as a scratching post or claw filer.Another contemplated material includes carpeted surfaces that include asubstrate to support the interior grooming elements during use.

Overall, the present invention provides a new and novel animalself-grooming pass-through device. In light of the aforementioned priorart and the given disclosure, it is herein submitted that the instantinvention has been shown and described in what is considered to be themost practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however,that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and thatobvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. Withrespect to the above description then, it is to be realized that theoptimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, toinclude variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and mannerof operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obviousto one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to thoseillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification areintended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Since numerous modifications and changeswill readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired tolimit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

I claim: 1) A pass-through animal self-grooming device, comprising: a rigid cylindrical tunnel including an interior surface and an interior volume; the interior surface including a plurality of elongated grooming elements disposed along a length thereof and pointed radially inwardly; the interior volume sized and configured to receive an animal therethrough; a pathway positioned along a lower portion of the interior surface of the rigid cylindrical tunnel, the pathway including a pair of walking paths devoid of the plurality of elongated grooming elements; a strip of plurality of elongated grooming elements separating the pair of walking paths from one another; and a rigid base platform for supporting the tunnel and providing a standalone assembly, the rigid base platform fixedly attached to the rigid cylindrical tunnel; wherein the pair of walking paths are configured to allow a pet to walk through the interior volume of the rigid cylindrical tunnel such that the plurality of grooming elements contact a top side, a left side, a right side, and an underside of a pet as it traverses therethrough. 2) The pass-through animal self-grooming device of claim 1, wherein the interior volume is sized to receive a cat therethrough. 3) The pass-through animal self-grooming device of claim 1, wherein the strip of plurality of grooming elements comprises a length greater than a length of a remaining plurality of grooming elements, such that the strip of plurality of grooming elements can make contact with the underside of a pet as it traverses through the rigid cylindrical tunnel. 4) The pass-through animal self-grooming device of claim 1, wherein the rigid base platform comprises a high friction lower surface to prevent sliding movement of the device. 5) The pass-through animal self-grooming device of claim 1, wherein the pathway includes an abrasive material such that an animal may file down its claws as it passes therethrough. 